Chapter 32

MISTY

We stopped hours later to refuel and breakfasted at a diner. Adam could barely keep awake, and after consuming three burgers, his eyelids drooped, and I knew I would have to drive.

Armed with strong black coffee, I slid into the driver’s seat, adjusted the position, and got back on the highway.

Just a couple more hours, and then I could sleep, but anxiety nipped at me; how could I sleep when I didn’t know where Lloyd was? I refused to let innocent wolves die because of my stupidity.

~“There must be a way we can stop him,”~ Cammy mused.

~“Yeah, I can put him to sleep, but that isn’t the answer in the long run. Besides, I feel bad putting him to sleep when he’s spent years sleeping; it’s just cruel, and I’d have to be on hand to renew the spell constantly, draining my energy. Monolith doesn’t have a dungeon or cell to lock him up.”~

~“Maybe there’s something in the grimoire you can use.”~

~“I’ll check, but I hope it will take him a day or two. If there are no other options, I’ll use the same spell.”~

I downed the dregs of my coffee and glanced at Adam, lying in the back seat snoring. In the short time I’d known him, I’d come to care, and I wondered if my feelings for him were akin to having a brother.

Growing up as an only pup was lonely, but Chelsea said we were lucky because we didn’t have to share anything.

She always looked on the bright side and was never pessimistic, but she didn’t have to deal with things breaking around her while growing up.

My phone buzzed, and my mom’s face popped up. I’d called while at the diner, and she’d been so happy to hear my voice but then scolded me for ten minutes.

After her, my dad did the same before he burst into tears, and I followed suit, and all this in public where everyone stopped to look at me curiously. It was so emotional, and knowing my dad was safe pushed me over the edge.

One woman even walked past me and patted my shoulder in sympathy. I was so embarrassed that I wanted the ground to swallow me, but Adam just grinned and handed me his napkin.

I answered the phone and put it on speaker. “I’m almost there, Mom. Give me ten minutes,” I said.

“Thank Goddess. We’ll be waiting.”

“Okay, love you.” I cut the call, and tears pricked my eyes. Goddess, I was so emotional; the smallest things set me off. I knew I would cry like a baby when I saw them.

I pulled onto the dirt road. Just one more turn and I would be able to see the pack house. I turned, came to a stop, and gaped. The entire field to the left was filled with rows of cars.

The day we left, Knox Pack had parked in and around the territory, but now there were three times the number of vehicles.

“Holy crap,” I said in astonishment. Tanner had been right in saying that Karl needed help.

And then I saw my mom and dad running toward me and hurriedly switched the car off and hurtled straight into their arms, blubbering like a baby, but I wasn’t the only one. We stood in the middle of the road and held each other until Adam cleared his throat.

Without letting go, my dad said, his voice hoarse with emotion, “You must be Adam, and I thank you for helping Misty and keeping her alive.”

“Come here,” my mom said, waving him closer. “Group hug.”

Even though astonishment colored his face, Adam didn’t need a second invitation and squeezed between my mom and me.

“Right, how far behind is he?” my dad asked.

“Two days, maybe…”

“Let’s go home. You need a shower and look beyond tired. Adam can stay with us,” my mom said decisively.

“Are we staying in our old house?” I asked.

“Yes, we evicted Chelsea and Tanner. They moved in with Alpha Martin, and as you can see by the sea of tents, everything is chaotic. We now have six packs living here, but you missed the madness; we had many more, but once the alphas escaped, many pack members went home,” my mom explained, smiling up at my dad.

“How did you get away? There were so many palace guards,” I asked.

“All in good time. Let’s get you home,” my dad said, patting my cheek affectionately.

We strolled up the road for a few yards before Adam stopped and scratched his head, looking back at his car parked in the middle. “Where can I park?”

“There’s space in front of the house, and you can park there,” my dad said.

With one of my dad’s arms around each of us, we walked home, Adam following us in the car.

“Dad, you feel different,” I said.

“That’s because he’s the Knox alpha now,” my mom explained.

“Oh wow.” But it made sense—my dad was born an alpha, but as the youngest, the pack went to Uncle Zack. “I’m sorry about Uncle Zack, Aunt Faye, and Olivia.”

“Me too, sweetheart. No matter how this turns out, we must stand unified against King Axel.”

I saw the pain in his eyes and knew, without him telling me, that his stint in the dungeon must have been horrific and wished desperately it was only Axel we had to worry about…

Chelsea and Tanner were sitting on the porch steps. With a squeal, she bounced up and almost bowled me over. “Ugh, you stink, Misty.” She laughed and cried at the same time.

I hugged her back, ignoring her comment. I was just thankful that all the people I loved were alive, and I hoped I could avoid my fate too.

Beyond exhausted, I stumbled up the stairs, breathed in the smell of home, and promptly burst into tears again.

“That’s it. Go shower and sleep. All this can wait until tomorrow,” my mom ordered, hugging me consolingly.

I took the quickest shower in the history of Misty and fell into bed, but my sleep was uneasy and troubled.

***

The smell of bacon woke me, and I looked around my old room. All my stuff was missing, but it was familiar and soothing.

I frowned at the clothes hanging in the closet. I hadn’t seen them yesterday, but it looked like my mom had gone on a shopping spree.

Cammy yawned and swished her tail. ~“Your dreams were weird last night. I think you dreamed of Kiralah—it matches the image Vetus sent me.”~

Just thinking about it gave me the shivers. I didn’t think she was evil, but in the dream, she’d looked directly at me, and even though her beautiful face was serene, there was something I couldn’t place in her doe-like eyes.

Spoilt for choice, I eventually dressed in cut-off denim shorts and a V-neck white T-shirt and ran down the stairs. Even though my sleep had been plagued with dreams, I felt recharged and rested.

I found Adam asleep on the couch and my parents on the back porch. Coffee wafted into my nose, and I saw the brand-new coffee machine on the counter with a steaming cup of coffee next to it.

My mom popped her head through the door. “Thought you might like some coffee,” she said casually, and I burst out laughing.

“You hate coffee. What changed your mind?”

She sniffed once before saying, “Almost losing you made me a little crazy, and I shopped like I had no credit card limit.” She pointed at my dad. “Your father encouraged me.”

I grinned and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” I had the best parents in the world.

A two-person tent had been set up in the backyard, and I wondered who was occupying that. “Who’s living there?” I asked, sitting down to sip my coffee.

“Trent. He felt we should have extra protection,” my dad clarified.

I looked at my dad idly; becoming alpha had changed him, and he even looked taller. He met my gaze and winked—and my dad was back.

“How did you get away?” I asked.

He sighed. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Lloyd was your mate, but in short, Alpha Luke’s warriors helped most of us escape. When I saw you standing with that barrier around you, I lost focus, horrified that you were there.

And then King Axel came—it almost killed me when I heard him commanding Lloyd. I tried to get to you, but there were so many palace guards that I was outnumbered. Thanks to Luke, I’m still here. I owe him a life debt.”

I felt instantly guilty even though he hadn’t reprimanded me, but I knew he wasn’t telling me everything.

My mom wrapped her arms around him with a sigh, and I wondered if Lloyd and I would have the opportunity to do that without anything hanging over our heads.

Adam came wandering out, coffee in hand. “This is awesome,” he said, sitting on the Hollywood swing. He looked rested and showered, his hair in a neat bun.

My parents had gone all out with breakfast as though I hadn’t eaten in days, but I understood their need to baby me. After a second helping of bacon, I groaned. “No more, Mom, I’m stuffed.”

Dropping a kiss on my head, my dad said in a businesslike voice, “Right, Misty. We have a meeting later today to discuss how we will deal with Lloyd, the allegiance curse, and much more.”

I nodded. “Ideally, I want to find something other than the sleep spell. It’s temporary, and I don’t feel right using it.”

Lloyd had suffered for centuries, and if I could minimize it, I would. If I’d listened to him and Adam, the king wouldn’t have seen me, and we wouldn’t be in this situation now—essentially, it was my fault.

“If that’s the only way to stop him for now, then that’s what you’ll have to use. Adam told us what happened in the barn.” He stood up to clear away the plates, and when I wanted to help, he stopped me. “No, Misty. I think you have some studying to do.”

“Fine, I’ll be in my room,” I said curtly, grabbing my backpack from the hallway, grateful that Adam must have brought it in.

I lay on my stomach, flipped the grimoire open, and looked for the binding spell. I read through the instructions and reread them, a plan forming in my mind.

If I could trap Lloyd in a binding circle, he would be powerless. Something inside me told me it would be far more powerful if I did this near the Monolith.

~“Well done,”~ Cammy said approvingly.

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it,” I shouted, running down the stairs.

“What,” all three said simultaneously.

“I can create a binding circle that will render Lloyd powerless. Is anyone camping at the Monolith?”

“I don’t think so, but we can check,” my mom said.

“Great. I need salt and four candles, any color. Wait, I have candles. Oh, and paper and pen too.” I would follow the instructions to the letter just in case; I only had one chance at this.

~“This is great, but how will you get Lloyd into the circle?”~

I froze. There was only one solution: I had to be the bait. But I could ensure everyone else was out of harm’s way.

“Let’s do it,” Adam said, grabbing the bag of salt from my mom.

“Wait.” My dad grabbed my arm. “You’ll have to lure him that way, which puts you in danger.”

My mom’s face paled. “Oh, is there no other way?”

“No, but I can run fast, or maybe I’ll wait inside the circle until he enters it.”

My parents wore identical expressions, their brows furrowed, and I wondered if mates were slated to behave like one being. They weren’t happy with my suggestion, but there was no other way, and I wanted to make sure I was ready for Lloyd.

“I’ll do a protection spell, and Lloyd won’t be able to penetrate the barrier,” I reassured them.

“It works well,” Adam interjected, trying to ease their fears.

“Yes, I saw,” my dad relented.

We walked toward the Monolith, each step bringing a surge of power that grew stronger as we neared.

The Monolith’s pull was more intense than ever, filling me with confidence that this plan would work. Surprisingly, no one had set up camp near it, and I wondered what kept them away.

Circling the Monolith twice, I trailed my fingers along its rough, ancient surface. Its texture was both grounding and energizing, sparking thoughts and questions. Should I include the Monolith within the protective circle?

The energy radiating from it was palpable and seemed to resonate with my growing power. I traced its contours, feeling a deep connection to the ancient stone.

“Adam, can you draw a large circle with salt incorporating the Monolith?” I asked, my voice steady with purpose.

“Draw one with a stick first so it’s nice and round,” my mom interjected, her practical advice as sharp as ever.

“Yes, ma’am,” Adam quipped with a smile, grabbing a stick and drawing a rough circle around the Monolith about twelve feet deep so the Monolith was at the top end of the circle.

It took several attempts before I was satisfied with the size and symmetry. Finally, the circle looked perfect, and I grabbed the bag of salt and carefully traced the line he had drawn, scattering an even amount of salt all around.

The air felt charged, the grains of salt shimmering in the sunlight.

My parents sat on the ground nearby, holding hands and watching in fascination. They had never seen me perform a spell, and their eyes were wide with curiosity.

As I worked, I could feel the energy building, a tangible force that connected us all. This circle, this moment, was significant. It was not just about the spell—it was about us, our unity to overcome and right the wrongs from the past.

I placed candles in all four directions, and Adam lit them. I wrote Lloyd’s name on paper, stood in the middle, and chanted.

~“Within this circle, I bind thee from causing harm; you cannot flee. Bound by air, fire, water, and earth, Contained and powerless, for what it’s worth.”~

I then knelt at the candle to the North, chanting, “Thank you, Guardians of the North, element of Earth. Depart in peace.”

I repeated it for west, south, and east, representing water, fire, and air elements. The salt disappeared in a blinding flash as though someone had set it alight, and the wind carried it away.

Lastly, I burned the paper with Lloyd’s name and buried the ashes.

I glanced at my parents, who sat with their mouths wide open and giggled. “It’s ready. Can you feel the power?”

“It feels like a disturbance in the air,” my dad said, and I knew he would worry even though he’d seen my invisible barrier.

~“I am ready for you,” ~I said to myself.